The Skull Gang II: Storm of Destruction
by bursegsardaukar
Summary: Two years have past after the events in the first story. However, the Team Rocket organization have started working on Project Tempest. If the project is successful, Team Rocket could gain absolute power. Please read and review this story.


THE SKULL GANG II: THE STORM OF DESTRUCTION By bursegsardaukar  
  
Author's note: This fan-fiction took place about two years after the events in the first one. There are some written scenes of graphic violence and minor swearing. Pokémon belongs to Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo and Game Freak.  
  
PROLOGUE  
  
JOURNAL OF DOCTOR LEON LANSING  
  
TEAM ROCKET SUBTERRANEAN RESEARCH COMPLEX  
  
SOMEWHERE IN THE ORANGE ARCHIPELAGO  
  
February 3  
  
I arrived at the laboratory that Mr. Evan had promised me for my research and the project. The lab was huge, much bigger than the lab at the Weather Institute in Hoenn. The lab is equipped with many state-of-the-art and sophisticated machines and computers. I was also given a team of research assistants that will work with me with the project that was code-named 'Tempest'. The purpose of this project is to find a way to enable us humans to freely control the weather at will.  
  
February 4  
  
We started working on the project today but working here is quite uncomfortable because there are many soldiers that were patrolling every part of this underground complex every day and night. Mr. Evan had provided us with a Dragonair specimen for our experiments. Dragonair is the magical Pokémon that has the amazing ability to change the weather at will. The Pokémon was not very cooperative with our experiments but we managed to put it under control using the control mechanism of the restraining collar that was around its neck. However, some members of the team protested that it was wrong for us to do this but Mr. Evan had them arrested and taken away by the soldiers. I never saw them again.  
  
July 16  
  
After months of endless work with very little rest, our efforts had finally paid off. We discovered that the crystal orbs on the Dragonair's neck and tail are what that gave the Dragonair the ability to control the weather at its will. I have designed a machine that should be able to control the Dragonair's powers. Mr. Evan had already ordered the parts and components that we needed to build the machine.  
  
August 2  
  
Construction of the machine has been completed and it is ready to be tested. We will start the experiment to see if this machine could really control the Dragonair's power. If the experiment is successful, we may be able to control the weather at will and use it to help humanity.  
  
August 3  
  
The experiment was successful and we were able to control the weather using the energy that was taken from the Dragonair. We can create rain, wind, lightning and much more. However, we soon found a major drawback; a single Dragonair was not enough to give the machine sufficient power. Once the Dragonair's energy had been completely used up, the machine will automatically shut down.  
  
August 5  
  
We did further research and we soon learned that the machine required at least ten Dragonair to give it sufficient power to operate endlessly. Mr. Evan had already submitted the report of the minor success of the first experiment to his superiors.  
  
August 12  
  
Mr. Evan's superiors were impressed by the result of the first experiment. They had informed us that they are starting a worldwide hunt for every Dragonair that we needed for the project. I don't know why Mr. Evans and his superiors are so obsessed for this project to be successful..  
  
CHAPTER ONE  
  
Several months later, four Team Rocket members named Alan, Iruma, Shinjoh and Leonid gathered at the edge of a large lake that was in the middle of a forest. Shinjoh was sitting inside the driver's cabin of a large crane. Iruma took out three Pokéballs and send out her Pokémon. A Poliwhirl, Seaking and a Qwilfish came out of their Pokéballs. The three Pokémon had headband-like devices strapped around their heads with a camera attached to each headband.  
  
The four Team Rocket members were among the hundreds around the world that were hunting the rare Dragonair Pokémon worldwide. Alan, Iruma, Shinjoh and Leonid had spent months tracking a Dragonair that was believed to be living inside this forest. They finally found its hiding place, which was the large lake in the middle of this forest.  
  
"I want all of you to dive into that lake and search it," Iruma ordered her Pokémon. "Don't stop searching until you found that Dragonair. If you fail, I'll give all of you fifty lashes from my whip!"  
  
The three Water Pokémon dived into the lake and they began searching for the Dragonair. Alan, Iruma and Leonid watched the images that were displayed on the tiny screens of their palmtops. The images were taken from the cameras that were attached to the Pokémon headbands.  
  
After two hours of waiting, their months of hard work had finally paid off. Iruma's Seaking spotted an underwater cave that was inside the lake. The Seaking went inside the cave and it began to search it. Deep inside the cave, there was a Dragonair that was sleeping soundly. The camera on top of the Seaking's head took pictures of the sleeping Dragonair that were then send to Iruma's palmtop.  
  
"My Seaking found the Dragonair," said Iruma as she looked into her palmtop.  
  
"Okay, order your Seaking to lure the Dragonair out of the cave," said Alan.  
  
"Seaking, give that Dragonair a Horn Attack and lure it to the surface," Iruma ordered her Seaking.  
  
The Seaking heard Iruma's orders through the headband and it obeyed. The Seaking swim towards the Dragonair and jabbed the Dragonair's body several times with its horn. The Dragonair woke up and it wasn't happy being woken up from its slumber. The Dragonair stared at the Seaking angrily with bloodshot eyes. Once the Seaking got the Dragonair's attention, the Seaking quickly swam out of the cave with the grumpy Dragonair chasing after it.  
  
"Here it comes!" shouted Iruma.  
  
The Seaking leaped out of the lake and landed on the dry ground at the edge of the lake. At the same moment, the Dragonair emerged out of the lake. Alan and the other Team Rocket members were ready for it. Alan had sent out his Cloyster and Dewgong while Leonid send out his Electabuzz and Jolteon.  
  
"Electabuzz, Jolteon, Thunder Wave!" ordered Leonid to his Electric Pokémon.  
  
The Electabuzz and Jolteon unleashed their electrical attacks at the Dragonair. The Dragonair was paralyzed by the attacks and it floated motionlessly at the surface of the lake.  
  
"Cloyster, Dewgong, use Ice Beam!" ordered Alan.  
  
The Dewgong and Cloyster each fired a beam of light at the helpless Dragonair and encased it in a block of ice. The Dragonair was trapped inside the block of ice.  
  
"Shinjoh, catch it now!" ordered Alan to Shinjoh, who was inside the crane.  
  
Shinjoh, who was sitting inside the crane, started the engine. The crane came to life with a roar and Shinjoh grabbed the control stick. He guided the crane's towing arm directly above the frozen Dragonair. He lowered a claw-hand and grabbed the block of ice. He then pressed a button and hoisted the block of ice out of the lake. He placed the block of ice on the ground at the edge of the lake. Alan went over to the block of ice and stared at the Dragonair that was frozen inside.  
  
"After five months of endless search, we finally got you," said Alan with a grin to the Dragonair that was entombed inside the block of ice.  
  
"Let's get this Dragonair to the rendezvous point before the ice melts," said Alan to the other Team Rocket members.  
  
CHAPTER TWO  
  
About an hour later, Alan and the other Team Rocket members are inside a large truck that was moving on a lonely, twisting mountain road. There's a large trailer attached to the rear of the truck. Shinjoh was driving while Alan was sitting next to him in the passenger seat. Iruma and Leonid are inside the trailer guarding the Dragonair that was still trapped inside the block of ice. The trailer is a freezer that was used to keep the block of ice from melting. Iruma and Leonid had to wear thick clothing to stay warm while they were inside the trailer.  
  
Alan grabbed the CB radio from the dashboard of the truck and spoke into the microphone.  
  
"We're five hours away from the rendezvous point," said Alan into the microphone. "How are you two doing in there?"  
  
"We're freezing in here!" said Iruma from the trailer. "I just hope we can get there as soon as possible."  
  
"Just hang in there for five more hours," said Alan. "After this is over, I'll give all of you a treat."  
  
"I just hope we don't turn into popsicles before we get our treat," said Leonid.  
  
Three hours later, it was already night. Shinjoh turned on the truck's headlights. There were no streetlights and the headlights were the only things that illuminated the dark road. Suddenly, the headlights illuminated a board studded with huge spikes that was lying on the road in front of the truck.  
  
"Look out!" Alan yelled when he saw the board on the road.  
  
But his warning came too late. The front tires of the truck exploded. Shinjoh hit the brakes as hard as he could. The tires let out a loud screech and the truck slowly came to a stop.  
  
Shinjoh and Alan got out of the truck to check the damage. The two front tires had burst.  
  
"Damn it!" shouted Alan. "Two flat tires and we only got one spare!"  
  
"We only got two hours to get to the rendezvous point or the helicopter will leave without us!" said Shinjoh.  
  
"What happened?" asked Iruma, who had just came out of the trailer.  
  
"Two flat tires and we only got one spare," said Alan. "And we only got two hours to get to the rendezvous point. If we don't get there on time, the helicopter will leave without us."  
  
Suddenly, there was a burst of gunfire. Alan, Shinjoh, Iruma and Leonid were hit the hail of bullets. Leonid was hit in the stomach and he fell to the ground, clutching at his stomach. He coughed out blood mixed with saliva as he placed his hand on his stomach, trying to stop more blood from oozing out of the hole in his stomach. Alan, Shinjoh and Iruma were already dead, their faces frozen in a death stare as they lay motionless on the ground. Leonid tried to stand up but only managed to get into a sitting position. He leaned his back against one of the tires of the truck.  
  
A figure clad from head to toe in black emerged out of the darkness and walked slowly towards the wounded Leonid. He could see that the figure had a G36 assault rifle in his hands. There's a symbol on the figure's bulletproof vest. Leonid recognized the symbol as the Skull Gang insignia. The figure held the rifle in one hand and he drew out a Walther P99 handgun with the other.  
  
"It's time to see the Grim Reaper," said the figure as he placed the barrel of the handgun against Leonid's forehead. "Farewell."  
  
The figure pulled the trigger and fired a bullet into Leonid's head. Leonid's body crumpled to the ground. The figure placed his foot on the dead body and fired two more shots. After the figure was done with Leonid, he went to check the other three bodies to make sure they are dead. He then removed all the Pokéballs from the dead bodies including Leonid and put them inside a backpack.  
  
The black-clad figure was Major Kusugo Kane, a Skull Gang elite commando.  
  
Kusugo went over to the trailer and opened the doors. He climbed into the trailer and saw a huge block of ice inside. He went over to the block of ice and he saw the Dragonair inside. Kusugo pushed the block of ice out of the trailer and dropped it onto the ground outside. He took out two Pokéballs from the pouch that was attached to his belt. He threw the Pokéballs and a Charizard and a Typhlosion came out.  
  
"Josh, Darryl, use your Flamethrower attack and thaw that Dragonair out of that ice," Kusugo ordered his Pokémon, calling them by their nicknames.  
  
The two Pokémon went over to the block of ice. They opened their mouths and each of them let out a blast of fire. The blast of fire melted the ice and the Dragonair was thawed out of the block of ice. The Dragonair lay motionless on the ground. Kusugo went over to the Dragonair and touched its body. The Dragonair's body was freezing cold.  
  
Kusugo quickly zipped open his backpack and took out a medical device called the medicomp from his backpack. The medicomp is a small, handheld computer that was developed by Skull Gang scientists that is capable of giving the user a diagnosis of his or her Pokémon. Kusugo attached three suction cups trailing tiny red wires to the Dragonair's temples and forehead. The wires are connected to the medicomp that he was holding in his hands. He pressed some buttons and some words appeared on the monitor.  
  
"Its heartbeat rate is quite weak and its body temperature is below normal. A clear sign of hypothermia," said Kusugo reading the data that was being displayed on the medicomp. "Better call for help, my first-aid kit don't have anything to treat hypothermia."  
  
Kusugo reached into his backpack and took out a SABRE (surface-to-air rescue beacon), a radio that was used for communications between an aircraft and people on the ground. He switched on the radio and spoke into it.  
  
"Black Scorpion to Zapdos 5, requesting immediate airlift," said Kusugo into the radio. "I have one Pokémon that needs medical help urgently."  
  
"This is Zapdos 5, message received," said the voice. "We're on our way to your position. ETA, three minutes."  
  
Kusugo switched off the radio and went over to the Dragonair. Before the helicopter gets here, he must try to keep the Dragonair warm.  
  
"Josh, Darryl, stay close to the Dragonair," ordered Kusugo to his two Fire Pokémon. "We better keep this guy warm before the helicopter gets here."  
  
The two Pokémon nodded their heads and they went over to the Dragonair. They huddled together around the Dragonair to keep it warm.  
  
**********  
  
Three minutes later, Kusugo could hear the sound of the approaching CH-47 transport helicopter. He took out a flare from his pocket and set it alight. The flare burned with a reddish glow as Kusugo waved it in the air. The helicopter pilots saw the burning flare and the helicopter started to descend. The helicopter landed on the road next to the disabled truck. Fortunately, there was enough room for the helicopter to land on the road.  
  
The helicopter's loading ramp was lowered and two Skull Gang soldiers and a medic came out of the helicopter's cargo hold. The two soldiers helped Kusugo to load the unconscious Dragonair into the helicopter while the medic examined the Dragonair.  
  
As soon as the Dragonair was safely inside the cargo hold, Kusugo recalled back his Charizard and Typhlosion into their Pokéballs and he boarded the helicopter. The cargo hold was closed and the helicopter took off into the air.  
  
CHAPTER THREE  
  
Several hours later, the Dragonair slowly opened its eyes. It was floating inside a sealed glass tank filled with warm crystal clear fluid. There are electrodes attached all over its long body and on the sides of its head. Outside the tank, there are several scientists in lab coats that were working at instrument-laden tables and control panels. Even though it was being held inside the glass tank, the Dragonair found the warm fluid inside the tank so soothing that it found itself relaxing despite the strangeness of its surroundings. The Dragonair closed its eyes and drifted back to sleep while the scientists do their work.  
  
The Dragonair was inside a highly guarded Skull Gang medical facility where Skull Gang medical personnel were treating it for hypothermia. The Dragonair was immersed in a special fluid that is able sooth the most violent Pokémon like Gyarados. The electrocardiogram machine showed the rise and fall of the Dragonair's heartbeat on a monitor. Kusugo, in his off- duty uniform, was staring at the Dragonair inside the tank.  
  
"How did you find this Dragonair, major?" asked a female scientist that was standing next to Kusugo. "Dragonair are extremely rare Pokémon and only a few members of Skull Gang had one of them."  
  
"Purely by luck," said Kusugo. "I was on an assignment to intercept a Team Rocket vehicle but I never expected to find this Dragonair."  
  
"It was a good thing that you called for help as soon as possible," said a male scientist. "If that Dragonair had arrived 10 minutes later, it could have died from hypothermia."  
  
"How is it doing now?" Kusugo asked the scientist.  
  
"It's doing okay for the moment," said the scientist. "But we're keeping it here for observation. We will let you know when it is out of the critical list."  
  
*************  
  
A month later.  
  
A Team Rocket OH-58 helicopter flew over the large ocean before it reached a small, uninhabited island called Quadrat Island. Thousands of years ago, an undersea volcano from the ocean floor erupted and the hot molten lava that spewed out of the volcano had created the island. The volcano, which was named Mount Quadra, had not erupted for thousands of years and was believed to be an extinct volcano. Team Rocket had built a secret research complex on this island. The research complex was built within the excavated chambers and tunnels inside of Mount Quadra. The only entry into this complex is by using the tunnel that was protected by a 16-inch steel door.  
  
The helicopter flew over the dense forest that made up much of the island. Hidden inside the dense forest are several SAM (Surface-to-air missile) that were ready to shoot down any hostile aircraft that was within their range. The helicopter flew over Mount Quadra until it reached a landing pad that was built on a plateau at the side of the mountain. As the helicopter descended towards the landing pad, a man dressed unobtrusively in civilian clothes was waiting for the helicopter with several Team Rocket soldiers, without the Team Rocket insignia on their uniforms, standing next to him. The man was Evan and he was waiting for this helicopter.  
  
The rotor blades slowly came to a stop as the helicopter pilot unbuckled his seat belt, opened the door and got out of the cockpit. The pilot then opened the door to the passenger compartment and a man emerged out of the helicopter. Evan went over and shook hands with the man.  
  
"Did you brought the things that I requested, Mr. Kraus?" asked Evan.  
  
"Yes," said Kraus as he took out a black box from his jacket and handed it to Evan.  
  
Evan took the box and opened it. There are nine Pokéballs inside the box. Inside each Pokéball is a Dragonair that Team Rocket was able to capture from all over the world.  
  
"The Boss and the other top executives of our organization are anxious to know the progress of this project," said Kraus. "Especially after they had spent billions on this project."  
  
"Tell them not to worry," said Evan. "The project is going according to plan. We should be ready after we hooked up these Dragonair to the machine."  
  
CHAPTER FOUR  
  
The next day, inside one of the smaller labs that was part of the Team Rocket research complex, a Dragonair struggled as a group of scientists in white lab coats strapped it down onto the motorized bed that was part of the large CT scanner. One of the scientists took an injection gun and placed it next to the Dragonair's neck. He pulled the trigger and the injection gun delivered powdered drugs through the Dragonair's skin and into its bloodstream. A few seconds later, the drugs paralyzed the Dragonair and it stopped struggling.  
  
The scientist continued to strap the Dragonair into position on the bed. After they were done, one of the scientists went over to a control board next to the CT scanner and pressed a few buttons.  
  
The motorized bed that the Dragonair was lying on slowly moved into the CT scanner. The scanning drum rotated around the Dragonair's body and emitted an X-ray beam. The scanner began to scan the Dragonair's long body from head to tail. The 3-D image of the insides of the Dragonair's body was displayed on a computer monitor on the control board. Dr. Leon checked the images that were being shown on the monitor for any deformities inside the Dragonair's body. He found none.  
  
"This Dragonair is perfect," said Dr. Leon as he pressed a button on the control board. "Place a restraining collar on it and hooked it up to an empty biotank with the other Dragonair."  
  
The motorized bed moved the Dragonair out of the CT scanner. A scientist went over to the Dragonair and slipped a metal collar around its neck. The collar locked itself into place around the Dragonair's neck. The plastic straps were loosened and the Dragonair was placed on a long gurney. The Dragonair was then wheeled out of the examination room on the gurney.  
  
At the same moment, Evan entered the room.  
  
"How was it, doctor?" asked Evan.  
  
"The nine Dragonair that we received yesterday are suitable for the project, Mr. Evan," said Dr. Leon. "I don't know how your superiors were able to get that many Dragonair at a very short time but I think that it was worth it. We got all the Dragonair that we needed to give the machine enough power to operate endlessly. We could start the tests in two days."  
  
"If everything goes as planned," added Evan. "Just make sure that you and your assistants stay on schedule and get that machine working."  
  
Evan then left the room and went to his office. He sat on a chair behind a desk and switched on his computer. The Team Rocket insignia appeared on the computer screen. Evan typed something into the computer using the keyboard. The Team Rocket insignia on the screen disappeared and a man with his face covered by shadows appeared.  
  
"What is the progress of the project, Evan?" asked the man.  
  
"The project is going smoothly, sir," said Evan. "According to the doctor, everything should be ready in two days."  
  
"Excellent," said the man. "Does Dr. Leon knows who we really are?"  
  
"Not yet, sir," said Evan. "He thinks that we are from a private research corporation and our purpose of controlling the weather is to help humanity."  
  
"A fool like him is always easy to manipulate," said the man.  
  
"There is no profit if we help humanity," said Evan.  
  
"Exactly," said the man. "And we had spent billions on this project."  
  
"If we give all of it away for free, we will be losing money," said Evan. "And that goody-goody is too naïve to know how much power we could from his machine."  
  
"With the power of this machine, the whole world will be under our control," said the man. "If Dr. Leon found out who we really are and decided to go against us, you know what to do, right?"  
  
"Yes, sir," said Evan.  
  
CHAPTER FIVE  
  
The next day, Evan was inside an observation booth while Dr. Leon and his lab assistants are preparing the weather-control machine to be activated. Inside the lab, there are several glass containers that were connected to the weather control machine by wires and cables. Some of the containers were empty but ten of them had a Dragonair inside each one of them.  
  
The glass containers are sophisticated biotanks that were used to drain energy from the ten Dragonair and then channeled them to the weather- control machine. The machine will then use the collected energies to control the weather. Immobilized by drugs, the ten unconscious Dragonair were kept inside the biotanks filled with greenish fluid. Wires and electrodes were inserted into various parts of their bodies. The monitoring devices analyzed and recorded their pulse, respiration and other bodily rhythms. The built-in life-support systems will keep the Dragonair alive inside their biotanks while the machine drains them of their energy.  
  
After making some final adjustments and checking the machine, Dr. Leon and his assistants were certain that the machine was ready.  
  
"Mr. Evan, the machine is ready to drain and collect the energy," said Dr. Leon to Evan that was standing inside the observation booth, watching Dr. Leon from the observation booth. "Shall we begin the test?"  
  
"Proceed!" shouted Evan from the observation booth.  
  
Dr. Leon went over to a switch on the control panel and he pulled it down. At that moment, the liquid inside the ten biotanks began to bubble. The Dragonair inside the tanks started to twitch and the crystal orbs on their necks and tails began to glow. Their energy was drained from their bodies by the biotanks and was channeled to the weather-control machine by the cables. The power gauge on the weather-control machine started to rise from zero to one hundred.  
  
"The machine is at full power," said Dr. Leon.  
  
"Let's test its power," said Evan as he took out a device that looked like a palmtop computer.  
  
Evan pressed a few buttons on the palmtop and the words 'SELECT TARGET' flashed over the tiny screen. The small palmtop is the device that enables Evan to control the weather-control machine.  
  
************  
  
It was a sunny day in Kumquat Island and everybody in the beach were swimming, surfing, sunbathing and doing other things. Kumquat Island was famous for its resorts and beaches and it was a popular tourist attraction.  
  
Suddenly, thick black clouds began to cover the sky. Within seconds, the sky was as dark as night. Strong winds began to appear and the once calm waves became huge and violent.  
  
"It's a storm!" shouted a group of people on the beach. "Take cover!"  
  
Everybody on the beach quickly ran for cover but the ones that were swimming in the water had to struggle to get to the beach. Some were swept away into the open sea and drowned. Lightning bolts started to appear in the sky. At the same moment, it started to rain but it wasn't rainwater that came down from the sky. Instead, it was hailstones. Hailstones that were as small as marbles and some that were as big as a suitcase. Everybody in the streets quickly ran for cover in buildings while some took refuge in their cars. However, cars offered very little protection against the falling hailstones that smashed through the windscreens and dented the car. Those that could not find shelter in time were hit mercilessly by the hailstones. The hailstones damaged buildings and wounded the civilians in the streets.  
  
Half an hour later, the terrible hailstorm stopped as suddenly as it appeared. The aftermath of the storm was devastating. Hundreds of people were either dead or seriously injured. Many buildings and vehicles are badly damaged. The entire incident baffled the meteorologists that didn't expect a hailstorm to suddenly appear in Kumquat Island that has a warm climate.  
  
CHAPTER SIX  
  
General Sakata Siegel and his two bodyguards, in civilian clothes, walked down the busy street of Goldenrod City and then stopped in front of a building that bore the sign 'Wilhelm's Auto Repair'. They went inside, where there were many mechanics repairing and servicing cars and other vehicles. Sakata and his bodyguards approached a desk and spoke to the man sitting behind it.  
  
"I would like to see my Jaguar, please," said the general. "Is it ready?"  
  
"What's the license number of the car and your name, please?" asked the man.  
  
"Simon Buchanan," said the general. "The license number is DSX 55634."  
  
The man took a clipboard and looked into it.  
  
"Please follow me, sir," said the man.  
  
Sakata and his bodyguards followed the man to the back of the building. The man placed the clipboard that he was holding onto a table and he drew out a handgun from the holster on his belt.  
  
"Please use the scanner to identify yourself," said the man.  
  
The man stood aside and watched cautiously as Sakata walked towards the security scanner on the wall. Sakata removed his gloves and pressed his hand against the scanner. He then positioned his head and looked into a camera lens that was part of the scanner.  
  
"General Sakata Siegel, D50933C," said Sakata as the scanner scanned his fingerprints, retina, and iris and analyzed his voice.  
  
As soon as the scanning was completed, the wall split, exposing a doorway and a set of stairs.  
  
"Wait here for me," ordered the general to his bodyguards.  
  
The general went down the set of stairs to the basement of the building, where there are two Skull Gang soldiers and a Xatu. The two soldiers and the Xatu were guarding a stainless steel door. The two soldiers saw the general and they quickly aimed their MP5 submachine guns at him.  
  
"Halt and prepare for inspection," said one of the soldiers.  
  
The Xatu's eyes glowed with a bright blue light. The Psychic Pokémon is scanning Sakata's mind to check if he was a spy or a traitor. The Xatu's eyes then stopped glowing and it nodded its head, meaning that Sakata was clear to enter. Skull Gang had trained Psychic Pokémon to help them root out spies and traitors that tried to infiltrate the organization.  
  
"Alright, you're clear to enter," said the soldier as he opened the door for the general.  
  
Sakata stepped into the room. The room is a large conference room where sub- leaders of the Skull Gang organization from different parts of the world had gathered for this clandestine meeting.  
  
"You're late," said a man that was sitting at the head of the long conference table, wearing a mask to conceal his face. "Please take your seat, general."  
  
The man that was wearing a mask was only known as Field Marshal Keagan. No one has ever seen his face or knows his real name but everyone knows he is the true leader of the Skull Gang organization. The field marshal wore a platinum ring that looked like the Skull Gang symbol around his right ring finger.  
  
General Sakata went over to an empty chair that was his designated seat at the conference table.  
  
"Now that we are all here," said the field marshal. "We will now proceed with the meeting. Colonel Harel, the leader of our organization's espionage division will speak first."  
  
Colonel Harel stood up from his seat.  
  
"Two days ago, our spy satellites spotted a Team Rocket research complex on an uninhabited island in the Orange Archipelago," said Harel. "They are conducting a top-secret project code-named Tempest in that base. According to our spies, the purpose of this project is to create a machine that has the power to control the weather."  
  
"It may sound unbelievable but Team Rocket had successfully created a working prototype of the machine," said the field marshal.  
  
"The machine was develop by this man," said Harel as he took a device that looked like a TV remote and pressed a button. A picture of Dr. Leon appeared on the screen on the wall. "His name is Leon Lansing. He was one of the top scientists that worked for the Weather Institute in Hoenn. Apparently, Team Rocket was able to get him to work for them."  
  
"Team Rocket had already tested the power of their new toy on Kumquat Island," said the field marshal. "They created a hailstorm on that island and the damage there was serious."  
  
"According to our intelligence report, the machine can only control the weather at a limited range. Team Rocket scientists are now trying to upgrade the machine so that it will have an unlimited range," said Harel. "If they are successful, the machine will give Team Rocket the power to control the weather of any part of the world."  
  
"Technology of this magnitude cannot be left in the hands of Team Rocket that will use it to help them to conquer the world," said the field marshal. "The purpose of this meeting is for us to discuss a way to infiltrate that research complex and destroy that machine."  
  
CHAPTER SEVEN  
  
Evan sat alone inside his private dining room. At the moment, he wanted no troubles, no disturbance. Just a private, luxurious celebration of the success of Project Tempest. The news about the mysterious hailstorm on Kumquat Island had been enough to give him quite an appetite. Team Rocket soldiers held their weapons ready, prepared to react instantly if anyone tries to kill Evan while he was eating his meal. The first serving was a plate of meat that was cut into tiny bite-size cubes on skewers.  
  
Before Evan could finish his meal, however, the door suddenly swung open and Dr. Leon stormed into the room, knocking aside the guards as if he was impervious to their weapons.  
  
"Mr. Evan, you lied to me!" shouted Dr. Leon angrily.  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Evan as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.  
  
"I've just heard about that mysterious hailstorm that appeared in Kumquat Island," said Dr. Leon. "I know it was my machine that created that hailstorm and it was you that selected that island as the target!"  
  
"What's so bad about that?" asked Evan. "I was just testing the machine."  
  
"I created that machine to help humanity but you are now using my machine as a weapon!" shouted Dr. Leon.  
  
"My dear friend, can't you see how much wealth you and I could make for ourselves?" said Evan. "Once your machine have been upgraded to have an unlimited range, everyone in the world will have to bow to our demands. For example, we could destroy all the crops in the world by making the whole world cloudy. As a result, everyone on the planet will starve to death except those that pay us for sunlight and rain. Airliners will have to pay us for their safe journey or we will create strong winds and make them crash to the ground. In other words, Team Rocket will control everything in the world."  
  
"T-Team Rocket!?" said Dr. Leon, shocked. "You are a member of Team Rocket!?"  
  
"That's correct," said Evan.  
  
"I have been working for the Devil all along!" shouted Dr. Leon, shocked.  
  
"My dear doctor, I'm not the Devil," said Evan. "I'm just an ordinary human being that is just trying to make a living illegally. Just like you."  
  
"We are not the same!" shouted Dr. Leon.  
  
"You are willing to use those Dragonair as a power source for your machine," said Evan. "Experimenting with Pokémon is considered illegal by the law and that is what Team Rocket do best."  
  
"I did that because I thought that my machine was going to be used for a good purpose," said Dr. Leon. "I want out of this project and I'm going to destroy that machine!"  
  
"Sorry, you can't do that," said Evan. "You have already signed the contract that stated your willingness to work for us forever. I was also going to pay you 12 million as a reward for your hard work."  
  
"I don't care!" shouted Dr. Leon. "The contract never said anything about working for Team Rocket. If I had known that you were Team Rocket, I would never work for you!"  
  
"That's too bad, doctor," said Evan. "I was hoping that we could be friends. But it looks like I have to get rid of you. There are plenty of other scientists in Team Rocket that are more than happy to take your place, Dr. Leon."  
  
Evan drew out his SIG-Sauer P228 handgun and shot Dr. Leon in the head. Dr. Leon dropped to the floor, blood gushing out of the wound on his head. Evan put down his handgun on his desk and he went over to a telephone. He placed the handset to his ear and pressed some buttons on the phone. Evan was calling Ammon, the man in charge of the research complex's security and also his right-hand man.  
  
"Hello, is this Ammon?" said Evan to Ammon. "Cancel transfer of 12 million to Dr. Leon's bank account and inform his relatives that a tragic accident has resulted in the death of Dr. Leon."  
  
"Dr. Leon is dead?" said Ammon through the phone. "How did he die?"  
  
"Don't ask. I just want you to find another scientist to replace Dr. Leon as soon as possible. Someone that also knows how to operate that weather- control machine," said Evan as he put down the handset.  
  
Evan snapped his fingers and the two Team Rocket soldiers went over to him.  
  
"Get this carcass out of here before he starts to stink," Evan ordered the soldiers, pointing at the body of Dr. Leon that was lying on the floor.  
  
The two soldiers nodded their heads and they left the dining room. They soon came back with a black body bag. They placed Dr. Leon's body into the bag. They each took a cloth and wiped away the blood that was on the floor. They then threw the bloodstained cloths into the body bag together with Dr. Leon's body and they zipped the bag close.  
  
"Throw him into the waste disposal just like the other bodies," Evan ordered the soldiers.  
  
The two soldiers nodded their heads and they carried the body bag out of the dining room. They make their way down a corridor and entered an elevator.  
  
********  
  
A few minutes later, the soldiers were inside the waste-disposal facility. This is the place where human waste and garbage were collected to be disposed. The air was moist, warm and full of disgusting odors. The soldiers made their way up the endless series of metal steps to a network of catwalks with the body bag. These high walkways overlooked the large sewage vats down below.  
  
The soldiers lifted the body bag high above their heads and they swung it over the catwalk. The body bag that contained Dr. Leon's body splashed into the vat of human waste and garbage and it slowly sank to the bottom. The perfect place to dispose the bodies of the people that opposed Team Rocket.  
  
CHAPTER EIGHT  
  
Several days later, Kusugo was sleeping inside his room when the phone on his desk rang. The noise of the phone ringing was so loud that Kusugo woke up from his sleep immediately. Kusugo quickly got out of his bed and navigated his way through the dark room to his desk. He picked up the phone and said, "Major Kusugo Kane."  
  
"Major, this is General Sakata," said General Sakata from the other end of the line. "Sorry to call you at this time but I need to talk to you in my office for a moment. Will that be a problem?"  
  
"No, sir, not at all," said Kusugo. "I'll be there in a moment."  
  
Kusugo put down the phone and he went over to the light switch. He switched on the lights in his room and he made his way to his closet. He took off his pajamas and he opened the closet doors. He took out his Skull Gang uniform that was inside the closet and he put it on. He buckled his belt around his waist and placed his P99 handgun into the holster on his belt. He then went over to his desk and took the three Pokéballs that contained his Charizard and Typhlosion. Kusugo put the Pokéballs into a pouch that was attached to his belt and he walked out of the room.  
  
***********  
  
A moment later, Kusugo was inside General Sakata's office. Before the general said anything to Kusugo, he ordered his two bodyguards to leave the room.  
  
"Major, the reason why I called you here is classified and must not be known by anybody that is not involved," said the general. "Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes, sir," said Kusugo.  
  
"I'm assigning you to a top-secret mission code-named 'Sledgehammer'. All the information that you need is inside this file," said the general as he handed Kusugo a file. "There's a Team Rocket research complex on an uninhabited island named Quadrat Island in a remote area in the Orange Archipelago."  
  
"And my mission is to destroy it, is that correct, sir?" asked Kusugo.  
  
"It's more than that, major," said the general. "Team Rocket had created a machine that is able to control the weather. The first objective of your mission is to infiltrate this research complex and destroy this machine. Your next objective is to hack into the main central computer and erase all the blueprints of this machine so that Team Rocket will not be able to built anymore of this machine in the future."  
  
"Yes, sir," said Kusugo. "Will that be all, sir?"  
  
"There is one more thing, major," said the general. "I'm assigning one of our hackers to work with you on this mission. His name is Jake and he is one of the best computer hackers that we got."  
  
"A good idea, sir," said Kusugo. He was glad to hear that a computer expert was coming with him because he was so good with computers.  
  
"You can start packing your things, major, because we're leaving for Mandarin Island in two hours," said the general. "I'll give you more information when we get there."  
  
CHAPTER NINE  
  
A few days later, General Sakata and Kusugo arrived at the Mandarin Island airport by plane. At the airport, a Skull Gang agent, dressed in civilian clothes, went over to meet them. He helped them to carry their luggage into a waiting car outside the airport.  
  
Within an hour, the general and Kusugo arrived at the Skull Gang secret headquarters. The headquarters was built inside the basement of an old abandoned building.  
  
General Sakata and Kusugo went into the operations room, where they met General Rufus. General Rufus was the man in charge of Skull Gang military operations in the Orange Islands. He was in command of the Skull Gang navy and air forces.  
  
"I've just received orders from the field marshal," said General Rufus to General Sakata. "Command authority for this operation has been handed to you. I've also been ordered to supply you with all the manpower, vehicles and equipment that you needed for this operation."  
  
At that moment, a Skull Gang lieutenant entered the operations room and saluted to General Sakata.  
  
"Lieutenant Jake Cox reporting for duty as ordered, sir," said the lieutenant.  
  
"Major, this is Lieutenant Jake," said Sakata to Kusugo. "He will be working with you on this mission."  
  
"Nice to meet you, major," said Jake as he stretched out his hand.  
  
Kusugo remained silent for a moment. He stretched out his hand and shook hands with Jake.  
  
"I just hope that you are ready, lieutenant," said Kusugo. "This mission is very important."  
  
**************  
  
The next day, a Skull Gang C-130 transport plane flew over 25000 feet above Quadrat Island. The plane was not only fast and difficult to see in the night skies, it was also equipped with radar jamming equipment. With the radar jamming equipment, there was little chance that the plane could be seen on radar. Visual sighting was not possible because it was night and the plane was flying very high.  
  
Inside the plane's cargo hold, Kusugo and Jake put on their black jump suits, helmets with headsets and oxygen masks. Each of them had a parachute pack and a rucksack strapped to their backs. Kusugo was additionally equipped with a sniper rifle that was hanging over his shoulder by a leather strap. Inside his rucksack, he had C-4 plastic explosives, grenades, knives, and other weapons. Jake only brought a P99 handgun, tools and a special hacking device that he will need to hack into the main central computer.  
  
After checking their coordinates and radioing the operations room at Mandarin Island that they were ready, Kusugo and Jake went into the back of the plane. The jumpmaster was given the signal from the pilots to get the two paratroopers to standby.  
  
The cargo ramp was lowered. The jumpmaster gave the signal. Kusugo and Jake leaped out of the plane and started to fall to the ground below. They checked the altimeters that were strapped onto their wrists. Once they were at 2500 feet, they quickly pulled their ripcords and their parachutes mushroomed open. They slowly descended into the dense wooded area around Mount Quadra. Once they have landed, they quickly removed their parachutes and all the other equipment they no longer needed. Without another word, they started moving under the cover of darkness through the forest towards their target.  
  
**************  
  
It didn't take long for them to spot the landing pad that was not far away from their position. Kusugo took out a pair of night-vision binoculars. He peered through the binoculars towards the landing pad. He adjusted the binoculars and increased the magnification. He could see the entrance into the research complex that was not far away from the landing pad. However, there are many Team Rocket soldiers that were guarding the entrance. Kusugo continued to scan the area around the area with his binoculars until he spotted a small ventilation shaft that was protruding out of the side of the mountain. There are two Team Rocket soldiers guarding the ventilation shaft. He put away the binoculars and swung the WA2000 sniper rifle off his shoulder.  
  
He looked into the telescopic sight and took aim at the two Team Rocket soldiers. He pulled the trigger and shot one of the soldiers in the head. He quickly took aim and shot the other soldier in the head as well. He then slung the sniper rifle back onto his shoulder.  
  
"Let's head to that ventilation shaft," said Kusugo to Jake. "It's our only way in."  
  
Kusugo and Jake moved stealthily in the dark towards the ventilation shaft. Kusugo took out a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. The paper was a blueprint of the research complex that General Sakata had provided him with.  
  
"This ventilation shaft should led to an air duct and the air duct is connected to the control room," said Kusugo to Jake. "We'll attack the control room first. After that, we'll go over to the lab to destroy the weather-control machine. Once our objectives are completed, we'll get out of this island."  
  
"Yes, sir," said Jake.  
  
Kusugo folded the paper and put it back inside his pocket. He grabbed hold of the bars of the metal grating that was covering the ventilator shaft. With one strong jerk, he removed the grating from the ventilator shaft. Kusugo and Jake put on their night-vision goggles and they climbed into the shaft. Kusugo navigated his way through the narrow ventilation shaft and went into the air ducts using the night-vision goggles to look in the dark. Jake followed him from behind. A few minutes later, they stopped in front of a metal grating inside the air duct. Kusugo looked through the grating and he could see that they were inside the control room. He took off the night-vision goggles from his face and he took out his MP5SD submachine gun from his rucksack.  
  
"You stay here and wait until I clear the room, lieutenant," said Kusugo.  
  
"Yes, sir," said Jake.  
  
CHAPTER TEN  
  
Meanwhile, inside the lab where the weather-control machine was being upgraded. Evan was inside the observation booth watching the Team Rocket technicians and scientists, as they were busy working on the weather- control machine. Evan's right-hand man, Ammon, was standing next to him.  
  
"One more week and the weather-control machine will be upgraded and it will have an unlimited firing range," said Evan to Ammon. "Once the upgrade is complete, Team Rocket will have power over the world. The world leaders will tremble in fear when we demonstrate our power. Unless they give in to our demands, we will unleash a devastating storm all over the world."  
  
"They'll have no choice," said Ammon. "We are now controlling the weather."  
  
Suddenly, the walkie-talkie that was strapped to Ammon's belt started to make a beeping tone. Ammon pressed a button on the walkie-talkie and answered it. He listened for a moment and then spoke to Evan.  
  
"Emergency," said Ammon. "The control room is under attack by an intruder. The intruder had somehow managed to get into the control room through the air ducts."  
  
Evan was shocked by what Ammon had said. How could somebody be able to slip past the complex's security system and get into the control room? Even the air ducts had security sensors to detect intruders.  
  
"Get me a picture of the situation in the control room from the surveillance camera, Ammon," Evan ordered Ammon.  
  
Ammon went over to a computer console that was inside the observation booth and he pressed some buttons. The computer screen lit up and a picture of the control room was shown on the screen. The picture was taken from a surveillance camera inside the control room.  
  
Evan went over and watched the screen as a black-clad figure was shooting at the Team Rocket soldiers and technicians that were inside the control room. The soldiers took cover behind a desk, table and cabinet. Some Team Rocket soldiers fired back at the intruder with their AK-47 rifles but their efforts were futile because the bullets didn't slow him down. The intruder was wearing a body armor that made him impervious to bullets.  
  
Suddenly, the intruder spotted the surveillance camera that was looking at him. He aimed his submachine gun at the camera and fired. The screen went black.  
  
"Get our security personnel to the control room at once," said Evan to Ammon. "We have to stop that intruder."  
  
**********  
  
Kusugo was inside the control room fighting the remaining Team Rocket soldiers that were trying desperately to defend the control room. Some of the soldiers sent out their Pokémon to fight him but their Pokémon were quickly paralyzed as soon as they were called out. The Paralyzer that was attached under the barrel of Kusugo's submachine gun fired out a red laser that paralyzed all the Pokémon that was hit by the laser.  
  
It took less than 10 minutes for Kusugo to eliminate all the Team Rocket soldiers that were inside the control room. After killing all the soldiers, Kusugo went over to the dead bodies and took all the Pokéballs that the dead soldiers had on them. Kusugo used the empty Pokéballs to recall back all the Pokémon that he had paralyzed. Kusugo did not have any Skull Balls with him so he had to improvise.  
  
After recalling all the Pokémon into their Pokéballs, Kusugo quickly put the Pokéballs inside his rucksack and closed it. He then went over to a hole in the ceiling.  
  
"You can come out of there now, lieutenant," said Kusugo. "The room is cleared."  
  
Jake climbed out of the air duct through the hole in the ceiling and he dropped to the ground below.  
  
Jake looked around and he could see a dead Team Rocket technician on the floor. He went over to the dead technician and searched the body. He found a small notebook that was kept inside the technician's lab coat. Written inside the notebook were the security codes for the control room's main central computer.  
  
"I've hit the jackpot, major," said Jake. "With these codes, I now have access to the complex's main central computer. I don't need to use the hacking device."  
  
"Just do your job, lieutenant," said Kusugo. "I'll cover you while you're working."  
  
Jake went over to a large computer console that was the main central computer. He typed the security codes into the computer and the words 'ACCESS CODES ACCEPTED' flashed on the computer screen.  
  
"Erase all the blueprints of that weather-control machine, lieutenant," Kusugo ordered.  
  
Jake searched the computer for the file that contained the blueprints for the weather-control machine. After a few seconds, he found the file that he was looking for. He pressed some buttons and deleted the file.  
  
"One of our objectives is complete," said Kusugo to the lieutenant. "Now to destroy the weather-control machine."  
  
Kusugo and Jake were about to leave the control room when two Team Rocket soldiers appeared in the doorway. Kusugo quickly killed them with his submachine gun.  
  
Jake went over to the computer console and he typed something into it. The image on the computer screen changed into the picture that was taken from the surveillance camera that was outside the control room. Kusugo and Jake could see that a group of Team Rocket soldiers are on their way to the control room. Jake quickly typed something into the computer and two metal doors closed the doorway.  
  
"This should slow them down for awhile," said Jake.  
  
"I'm calling HQ to tell them about our situation," said Kusugo.  
  
"Black Scorpion calling Wailord," said Kusugo through the headset. "Team Rocket had spotted us and their security personnel had cornered us in the control room. We need help."  
  
*************  
  
Back in the operations room at Mandarin Island, General Sakata received Kusugo's message.  
  
"Message received and understood," said General Sakata through a microphone. "We're sending a squad of shock troops to the island to assist you, major. They should be there in half an hour. Just try to hold your position until they get there."  
  
"Yes, sir," said Kusugo as he took out a P99 handgun and handed it to Jake.  
  
"Shoot any Team Rocket member that enters this room, lieutenant," said Kusugo. "We better get ready for anything. HQ is sending reinforcements here."  
  
"Yes, sir," said Jake as he took the handgun from Kusugo.  
  
"Tell me something, lieutenant," said Kusugo. "Does the main central computer control everything inside this complex?"  
  
"Yes, sir," said Jake. "Everything that is connected to it."  
  
"You have the access codes, right?" said Kusugo. "Can you change all the codes inside that computer to put it under our command?"  
  
"It won't be easy but I can try," said Jake.  
  
"Do it, lieutenant," ordered Kusugo. "I'll cover you."  
  
Jake took out his toolbox and went over to the computer console. Meanwhile, Kusugo took out a Pokéball and sent out his Charizard.  
  
"Josh, seal that door," ordered Kusugo.  
  
The Charizard opened its mouth and let out a blast of fire at the door. A few seconds later, the door was sealed. Kusugo then recalled back his Pokémon and stood guard at the door.  
  
CHAPTER ELEVEN  
  
A few minutes later, Evan and Ammon were still inside the observation booth at the lab. Ammon was speaking to the Team Rocket security personnel through a walkie-talkie.  
  
"Mr. Evan, the two intruders had sealed themselves inside the control room," said Ammon to Evan. "Our security team are not able to get them."  
  
"Tell them to cut their way into the control room and hurry up," said Evan. "I want those intruders eliminated before they do anymore damage."  
  
"They are doing that now but it will not be easy," said Ammon. "The door is made of steel and it's about 12 inches thick. With all the available tools that we got, it will take at least about an hour to cut through that door."  
  
Suddenly, the Ammon's walkie-talkie made a beeping tone and Ammon answered it. He listened to it for a moment and then spoke to Evan.  
  
"It's from the radar room, they have detected a squadron of unidentified aircraft that are approaching this island," said Ammon. "They will reach the island in 7 minutes."  
  
"How many?" asked Evan.  
  
"About 7 planes," said Ammon.  
  
"Activate all the surface-to-air missile launchers," said Evan. "We'll shoot those planes out of the sky before they get here."  
  
"Roger," said Ammon as he spoke into the walkie-talkie.  
  
"Mr. Evan, all the missile launchers are not responding!" shouted Ammon.  
  
"What?" asked Evan.  
  
"The intruders had shutdown all the missile launchers from the control room," said Ammon.  
  
"Override the controls and get the launchers back online!" shouted Evan. "We have to stop those planes before they get here."  
  
"Override the controls," said Ammon into the walkie-talkie.  
  
Ammon listened for a moment and his normally unemotional face showed fear.  
  
"The intruders had rewrote all the security codes inside the main central computer!" shouted Ammon. "Everything that is connected to the computer now responds only to them!"  
  
"What about the weather-control machine?" asked Evan. "Is it connected to the main central computer too?"  
  
At the same moment, the power gauge on the weather-control machine started to fall all the way to zero. Jake had shutdown the machine from the control room. All the Team Rocket scientists tried to restart the machine but couldn't.  
  
"Speak of the devil!" shouted Evan when he saw that the machine had shut down.  
  
"We're completely defenseless," said Ammon.  
  
"Not yet!" said Evan. "We still got the anti-aircraft guns at the landing pad. Those guns can be used manually. Get some of our soldiers to get those guns ready to shoot down the planes."  
  
"Affirmative," said Ammon as he spoke into the walkie-talkie. "Get the anti- aircraft guns ready."  
  
************  
  
As soon as Ammon had given the orders, a group of Team Rocket soldiers that were at the landing pad outside the complex scrambled to the anti-aircraft guns. The anti-aircraft guns that were installed at the landing pad were the Soviet-built 23-mm ZU-23 light anti-aircraft guns, the 30-mm M53 light anti-aircraft guns and the KS-19 anti-aircraft gun. The anti-aircraft guns were the research complex's last line of defense against aerial attacks.  
  
The soldiers watched the dark sky for the incoming enemy planes. The huge searchlights were turned on and were used to search the sky for the incoming planes.  
  
Not far away from Quadrat Island, a squadron of Skull Gang AV-8A Harriers that had taken off from their secret base on Mandarin Island are heading straight for Mount Quadra. Their wing pylons are loaded with a variety of missiles and bombs.  
  
"This is Skarmory One, is everybody on station?" the squadron leader that was inside one of the Harriers asked over the radio.  
  
The other pilots began to reply in numerical order, from Skarmory Two to Skarmory Seven.  
  
When all the pilots had checked in, the Harriers moved into attack formation.  
  
Meanwhile, at the landing pad, the Team Rocket soldiers could hear the sound of the incoming Harriers.  
  
"Okay, form up," Skarmory One ordered. "We're taking out those AA guns before they take us out!"  
  
The pilots followed their commander's aircraft as it dipped its nose and plunged to the ground. At a hundred feet above sea level, the Harriers encountered enemy fire. The anti-aircraft guns were firing at them.  
  
The Harriers spotted the landing pad and the anti-aircraft guns by using infrared. The Harriers fired their Maverick air-to-surface missiles. The missiles flew into the air and hit the anti-aircraft guns. The pilots watched from their cockpits as the anti-aircraft guns exploded one by one.  
  
"AA guns destroyed," said Skarmory Three through his radio. "But there are still some Team Rocket soldiers on the landing pad."  
  
"Okay," said Skarmory One. "We're going in for another pass. This time we'll use bombs to wipe out the remaining Team Rocket soldiers that are still on the landing pad."  
  
The Harriers circled back and they repeated their attack pattern, this time using their BL755 cluster bombs.  
  
"In we go!" said Skarmory One as his Harrier dived to the ground.  
  
CHAPTER TWELVE  
  
The Harriers released their bombs and pulled up. Before they hit the ground, the bombs released hundreds of bomblets that soon splintered into thousands of deadly fragments. The fragments detonated on the landing pad, killing all the Team Rocket soldiers and badly damaged the remaining anti- aircraft guns.  
  
"This is Skarmory One to Aerodactyl Team," said Skarmory one into his radio. "You're clear to land and deploy the troops."  
  
The seven Harriers that survived the aerial attack headed back to their base at Mandarin Island. A moment later, five CH-47 transport helicopters flew over the island and landed onto the landing pad. The rear cargo ramp of each helicopter was lowered simultaneously and Skull Gang shock troops came out of the helicopters. There were bodies of Team Rocket soldiers scattered all over the landing pad.  
  
"Alright, let's go!" shouted Sergeant Major Kyrubi, the commander of the shock troops, to his men.  
  
The 220 Skull Gang shock troops that were armed with machine guns, rifles, grenade launchers and other anti-personnel weapons like flame-throwers went into a battle formation and marched towards the entry door to enter the research complex.  
  
************  
  
"All our anti-aircraft guns have been destroyed, Mr. Evan," said Ammon. "Enemy helicopters that are loaded with enemy troops have landed on the landing pad."  
  
"Order all our soldiers inside this complex to get to level one to stop the enemy troops," said Evan. "In the meantime, let's get to my office at level 5. It should be safer there..."  
  
**********  
  
Inside the control room, Kusugo and Jake saw the Skull Gang shock troops that were outside the complex on the computer screen.  
  
"The shock troops are here, Jake," said Kusugo. "Open the front door and let them in."  
  
"Yes, sir," said Jake as he went over to the computer console and typed something into the computer.  
  
At Jake's command, the entry door at the landing pad opened and all the Skull Gang shock troops went inside.  
  
However, waiting behind the entry door was a group of Team Rocket soldiers, armed with Russian-made RPD machine guns and AK-47 rifles. The Team Rocket soldiers fired at the Skull Gang troops.  
  
"Torch them!" ordered Kyrubi to three Skull Gang troops that were carrying flame-thrower canisters on their backs.  
  
The soldiers aimed their weapons and unleashed a stream of fire at the group of Team Rocket soldiers in front of them. The flaming napalm clung like glue to whatever it touched. The Team Rocket soldiers that were sprayed with the flaming napalm dropped their weapons and started screaming in agony with flames on their bodies.  
  
The other Skull Gang troops fired their machine guns at the screaming Team Rocket soldiers, whose screams mercifully ended as they fell to the floor in individual flame-crackling piles.  
  
"Let's go!" ordered Kyrubi.  
  
The sergeant major led the shock troops into the research complex. Through the metal corridors, alarms rang, lights flashed, sirens echoed. Team Rocket scientists, technicians and non-combat personnel ran away for their lives while Team Rocket soldiers scrambled to fight the invading shock troops. Some scientists tried to retrieve experimental records and irreplaceable notes from research projects. But many that wasted time gathering such items were soon killed in the crossfire between the shock troops and Team Rocket soldiers. The research complex did not have sufficient defenses to resist the shock troops and the shock troops marched through the complex with little resistance.  
  
CHAPTER THIRTEEN  
  
From inside Evan's office, Evan and Ammon watched the battle that was being shown on a computer screen on the wall. They watched helplessly as the Skull Gang shock troops moved deeper into the complex. Team Rocket soldiers desperately tried to fight off the Skull Gang shock troops but they were soon forced into retreat.  
  
Suddenly, Evan's cellular phone beeped. He picked it up and put it to his ear.  
  
He listened for a moment, then said, "It's about time you answered. I need reinforcements. Skull Gang shock troops are invading this complex."  
  
"We are aware of that, Evan," said a voice from the phone. "But so far, we don't see any reason why we should send you reinforcements."  
  
"Just get some help here, fast!" shouted Evan into the phone. "I don't know how much longer I can hold them!"  
  
"I assure you, we have done everything within our power to help you," said the voice. "But sending reinforcements is out of the question. In the meantime, please refrain yourself from using this line. If the signal is detected, Skull Gang could trace it."  
  
"Don't pull that crap with me, I'm in real trouble here!" shouted Evan. "If you don't send help, I swear that-"  
  
"Don't threaten us, Evan," said the voice. "You're the one that's in trouble not us. In fact, you're expendable to us."  
  
"I've been loyal to this organization for decades!" shouted Evan. "You all can't just abandon me!"  
  
"We are now ceasing all communications," said the voice. "This line will be terminated immediately."  
  
"No, wait!" shouted Evan. "Don't do this to me!"  
  
There was a clicking sound and Evan's cellular phone went dead.  
  
"Yaarrgh!" shouted Evan as he swung his cellular phone towards a wall. The phone was smashed to pieces.  
  
"It looks like we're on our own," said Ammon.  
  
**********  
  
A few hours later.  
  
Evan and Ammon watched as the Skull Gang shock troops marched through the corridors inside complex with very little resistance and slaughtered every Team Rocket member that they could find.  
  
Some of the Team Rocket soldiers sent out their Pokémon to fight. All the Skull Gang troops were armed with the Paralyzer devices that paralyzed the Team Rocket soldiers' Pokémon. The Skull Gang troops then captured all the paralyzed Pokémon with their Skull Balls.  
  
"Mr. Evan, level 1, 2, 3 and 4 had been captured by the enemy soldiers," said Ammon. "They will reach this place in about 45 minutes. All our remaining soldiers are trying to stop the enemy soldiers now. Some of our soldiers and scientists are begging for us to surrender them."  
  
"We will not surrender to those barbarians. Tell all the remaining soldiers to hold their positions," said Evan. "While they keep those barbarians busy, we'll make our escape."  
  
"But how are we going to escape?" asked Ammon. "All the emergency exits are closed."  
  
"Not quite, my dear Ammon," said Evan. "There's a secret escape tunnel inside this office and an escape capsule for two people."  
  
Evan went over to a wall and took out a small device. He pressed a button on the device and the wall slides open to reveal an opening with an escape capsule inside. A hatch opened in the capsule.  
  
"This escape capsule will take us away from this island," said Evan. "And those Skull Gang shock troops will not be able to catch us."  
  
"Before we go, we may yet salvage something out of this mess," said Evan as he took out a disc that he kept inside a pocket in his jacket. "This is the only copy of the blueprint to construct another weather-control machine. I've anticipated something like this would happen so I made a spare copy of the blueprint into this disc."  
  
"Even if we escape, I don't think the other executives or the Boss is going to welcome us to their hideout," said Ammon.  
  
"But I have the only copy of the weather-control machine," said Evan. "The intruders had erased all the other files inside the main computer. The Boss had spent a fortune on this project and this disc should be enough for me to redeem myself."  
  
"Very impressive, Mr. Evan," said Ammon with a wicked smile on his face. "But the game is still over for you."  
  
Ammon drew out his handgun and shot Evan several times in the chest. Evan fell to the floor. Ammon went over to the fallen Evan. Evan was badly wounded but he was still alive.  
  
"I'll take that, Mr. Evan," said Ammon as he plucked the disc from Evan's hand.  
  
"W-why are you doing this to me?" said Evan, openmouthed with shock.  
  
"I have finally got tired of serving you as your right-hand man," said Ammon as he put the disc into his pocket.  
  
"I'll let you in on a secret. I helped those intruders to get into the control room. I lowered all the security system inside this complex and provided the intruders with a little gap for them to squeeze through," said Ammon. "As the person in charge of the security of this complex, I have access to all of the security systems. I also leaked out a lot of secret information about this complex to Skull Gang so that they would have enough information to attack this complex."  
  
"B-but why?" asked Evan.  
  
"It's all part of my plan. Once Skull Gang started attacking this complex, I would then stab you in the back and escape to headquarters. I could just say to the Boss and the other executives that you were killed by Skull Gang and I managed to escape," said Ammon. "And with this copy of the blueprint that you were so kind enough to provide me with, the Boss will definitely give me a promotion."  
  
"You traitor!" shouted Evan as he coughed out blood and saliva.  
  
"But you won't live to tell the Boss what you already know and I also destroyed all the evidence that could be used against me," said Ammon. "It's all part of being a member of Team Rocket, Evan. In the Team Rocket organization, status is not bestowed. It is taken. And I'm going to become one of the top executives of Team Rocket by taking your life."  
  
Ammon went over to the opening in the wall and leaped into the escape capsule. He sat down on the leather seat and buckled his seat belts.  
  
"And I should thank you for providing me with this escape capsule," said Ammon as he shut the hatch and waved at Evan from inside the capsule to say good-bye.  
  
Ammon pressed a button on the control panel and the capsule started to move. Evan watched as the escape capsule disappeared with Ammon inside. As soon as the capsule was gone, the opening in the wall disappeared as well.  
  
"I'm not defeated yet.," said Evan as he slowly got up to his feet. "If I have to die, I going to take that traitor with me."  
  
Evan picked up the device that was lying on the floor and he pressed some buttons on it.  
  
"I forgot to tell you something, Ammon," said Evan. "The escape tunnel is connected to another tunnel that was not yet completed. All I have to do is to switch the escape capsule to another route and I will give you a one-way ticket to hell."  
  
CHAPTER FOURTEEN  
  
Meanwhile, the escape capsule sped the through the tunnel with Ammon inside.  
  
"I hope you're doing well, Evan," said Ammon. "If you're lucky, you will die before Skull Gang capture you."  
  
Suddenly, Ammon saw a wooden sign in front of the capsule that said 'DANGER: TUNNEL NOT YET COMPLETED' before the speeding capsule smashed the wooden sign to pieces.  
  
"Not yet completed?" said Ammon. "What the-"  
  
Before Ammon could finish, he saw a wall blocking the tunnel in front of the capsule. Now he understood what the sign means.  
  
Ammon's last word is "Eeeeyaargh!"  
  
The speeding escape capsule smashed into the wall and exploded. The sound of the explosion echoed through the tunnel and Evan heard it. Evan smiled when he heard the explosion.  
  
"See you in hell, Ammon," said Evan as he collapsed to the floor. He took his last breath and his vision melted to black.  
  
**********  
  
At level 5 of the research complex, Neill, a Team Rocket lieutenant, led the remaining Team Rocket soldiers into the brunt of the clash and the Skull Gang shock troops responded savagely. Any Team Rocket soldier that was within the range of the shock troops was blown to pieces by their machine guns. The Team Rocket soldiers took whatever weapon they had left and fired at the shock troops but all their efforts were futile.  
  
After half an hour of fighting, Neill realized that he only had a handful of soldiers left. Before more of his men could be killed, Neill decided to surrender. He dropped his RPD machine gun to the ground and he raised his hands in the air to surrender.  
  
"I surrender!" shouted Neill.  
  
Sergeant Major Kyrubi saw the Team Rocket lieutenant and his men walking towards them with their arms raised. Kyrubi nodded to his troops, who opened fire at the lieutenant. The lieutenant's mutilated body dropped to the ground.  
  
The troops were about to kill the other Team Rocket soldiers as well but Kyrubi held up his hand for them to stop. They understood that it might be necessary to capture and torture a few prisoners for information.  
  
************  
  
About three hours later, the Skull Gang shock troops had taken control of the entire research complex. Kusugo was walking down a corridor with Sergeant Major Kyrubi next to him. Kusugo could see some Skull Gang troops dragging away the bodies of the Team Rocket soldiers from the corridor.  
  
"My men had searched every inch of this place and they have eliminated every Team Rocket member inside this complex, sir," said Kyrubi. "We had to burn out those that were hiding inside the air ducts with flame-throwers."  
  
"Casualties?" asked Kusugo.  
  
"37 of my men are wounded and 18 are killed during the battle, sir," said Kyrubi.  
  
"The casualty rate is acceptable," said Kusugo. "What about the weather- control machine?"  
  
"I've separated my troops into teams and they have searched all the rooms in this complex, sir," said Kyrubi. "They found the weather-control machine and the biotanks that contained the Dragonair. They've already removed all the Dragonair from the biotanks."  
  
"How are the Dragonair doing?" asked Kusugo.  
  
"The medics said that they are doing okay but they need to get those Dragonair to a medical facility," said Kyrubi. "I've already contact HQ for some transport helicopters to airlift those Dragonair."  
  
"Did you find the Team Rocket executive that was in charge of this complex?" asked Kusugo.  
  
"We found him dead inside his office," said Kyrubi. "Apparently, somebody had already killed him before we could capture him."  
  
"That's a pity," said Kusugo. "A Team Rocket executive like him is a valuable prisoner."  
  
Suddenly, Kyrubi's walkie-talkie made a ringing tone and he answered it.  
  
"Major, the general is on his way here," said Kyrubi.  
  
"I'll go and meet him," said Kusugo.  
  
EPILOGUE  
  
A UH-1 transport helicopter descended from the sky and landed on the landing pad. General Sakata climbed down from the helicopter and Kusugo went over to salute the general.  
  
"The complex is secured, sir," said Kusugo. "We got some prisoners that will be interrogated. This complex should be repaired and ready for our control in a week."  
  
"Excellent, major," said the general as he handed a small box to Kusugo. "The field marshal wanted to give this to you himself but he was too busy to meet you."  
  
Kusugo took the box and he opened it. Inside the box was a Skull Gang Colonel rank insignia.  
  
"Congratulations, major," said the general. "You are now Colonel Kusugo Kane."  
  
Kusugo smiled a little and escorted the general into the complex.  
  
END 


End file.
